Tracking shot
In motion picture terminology, the term
tracking shot may refer to a shot in which the camera is mounted on a camera dolly, a wheeled platform that is pushed on rails while the picture is being taken; in this case the shot is also known as a
dolly shot or
trucking shot. One may dolly in on a stationary subject for emphasis, or dolly out, or dolly beside a moving subject. The term may also refer to any shot in which the camera follows a subject within the frame, such as a moving actor or a moving vehicle. When using the term
tracking shot in this sense, the camera may be moved in ways not involving a camera dolly, such as via a Glidecam, via handheld camera operator, or by being panned on a tripod. The Italian feature film
Cabiria, directed by Giovanni Pastrone, was the first popular film to use dolly shots, which in fact were originally called "
Cabiria movements" by contemporary filmmakers influenced by the film; however, some smaller American and English films had used the technique prior to
Cabiria, as well as Yevgeni Bauer's
The Child of the Big City, released a month prior to
Cabiria.